Conveyer block system



June 22, 1937.

K. R. WEISAE 2,084,879

CONVEYER BLOCK SYSTEM s Zaf Afro/aways Filed Nov. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ratenied June 22, 1937 ATENT OFFICE CONVEYER BLOCK SYSTEM Kurt R. Weise, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Crane & Engineering Company, Wicklifie, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Appiication November 25, 1932, Serial No. 644,186

3 Glaims.

This invention relates to carrier systems and, as its principal object, aims to provide a novel and improved control block arrangement for regulating the operation of electrically propelled carriers.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved control means for electrically operated carrier systems, wherein conductor bar sections extending along a track are deenergized and reenergized in response to the operation of a carrier along track sections or blocks corresponding with but in advance of the respective conductor bar sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide 1?) improved control means, of the type referred to,

wherein a novel arrangement of circuits and contact means is employed for deenergizing and reenergizing a conductor bar section, including a plurality of spaced pairs of cooperating contacts and an elongated actuating member for obtaining a desired coacticn between the contacts of at least one of said pairs upon engagement of said actuating member with some part of a carrier.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved block system, for electrically propelled carriers, wherein a power supply conductoris divided into insulated sections corresponding with the desired blocks and wherein deenergization and reenergization of each section, for carrier control purposes, is efiected after the passage of a carrier therethrough by means including a nomally closed contactor and circuit control means for successively opening and closing said contactor and arranged for cooperation with a carrier at a point in advance of said section.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a carrier system embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the system.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side View of one of the carriers showing the power collecting means.

Fig. 4 is another fragmentary side view showing a carrier-operated circuit control device.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram for my improved block system.

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram for another block system embodying my invention, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side view showing another. carrier-operated circuit control device,

Detailed reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating an improved and simplified block system. for electrically propelled carriers and, although in disclosing my invention I have described my improved control means as applied to a carrier system of the monorail type, it should be understood, however, that my block control means may be applied to various other forms of railways and carrier systems.

In general, my improved block system involves the idea of preventing collisions between selfpropelled carriers operating upon a track, by controlling the power supply to a following carrier in response to the operation of the preceding carrier. According to my invention, the rack is considered as being divided into blocks and the operation of a carrier in any one of the blocks, is controlled by deenergizing and reenergizing the power supply conductor for such block in response to the operation of a preceding carrier in another block of the track.

In Fig. l of the drawings I have shown a track ill, which is adapted for the operation of electrically operated self-propelled carriers, and to which my improved block system has been applied. The track illustrated in this instance is of the overhead monorail type, preferably, though not necessarily, in the form of a closed loop, arranged to extend past a loading station H, and past various unloading stations, at which mail bags or other articles supported on the carriers, may be discharged. The track is divided into a plurality of control sections or blocks designated A, B, C and D, which are preferably, though not necessarily located adjacent the loading and unloading stations, and within which the operation of the carriers is regulated in a manner presently to be described. Conductor bars I? and I3 are arranged along the track on opposite sides thereof for supplying electrical energy to the selfpropelled carriers operating on the track.

The carriers themselves may be of any suitable construction and, as represented in Fig. 2 of the drawings, may comprise an electric locomotive M having power collecting devices l5 engaging the conductor bars [2 and I3, and one or more article containers. l6 suspended from the track and connected with the locomotive by a draw bar I1.

In carrying out my invention I divide the conductor bars I2 and I3 into sections, corresponding with the desired blocks, and which sections are insulated from each other by suitable insulating devices l8 and I9. In other words, the portions of the conductor bars l2 and 13 which extend through the block A are insulated from the portions of these conductor bars extending through the block B and, likewise, the portions of the conductor bars which extend through the block C are insulated from the portions of the conductor bars extending through the block B. For regulating the operation of the self-propelled carriers in traversing these blocks, I control the energization of the sections of one or both of the conductor bars. To this end I provide a main feeder 2B which extends adjacent the sectional conductor bar 52 and a main feeder 2| which extends adjacent the sectional conductor bar I3. The feeder 20 may be connected at suitable intervals to the sections of the conductor bar l2 by conductors 22, whereby the sections of this conductor bar are continuously energized. Power may be supplied to the sections of the conductor bar E3 to obtain a desired operation of the carriers, by the use of control means 23 which will be presently described. Power may be supplied to the feeders 23 and by the mains 24 and 25 for distribution to the sections of the conductor bars.

For controlling the supply of energy to the sections of the conductor bar l3, as for example the section of this conductor bar-extending through the block A, I provide an electromagnetic contactor 23, (shown in Fig. 5) having cooperating contacts 2'l and 23 which are normally closed to connect the conductor bar section with the feeder 2! through the conductors 29 and 33. This electromagnetic contactor is provided with a winding 31 which is adapted to be energized for 5 opening the contacts: 2? and 28 to thereby deenergize this section of the conductor bar l3 for preventing a carrier from operating in the block A. For'energizing the winding of the contactor I provide a relay 32 having a pair of cooperating contacts 33 and 34 in circuit with the winding 3! of the contactor. The contact 33 is connected to one terminal of the winding 3!, and the contact 34 is connected to one end of the relay winding 35 through the movable conducting arm 36 and the conductor 3?. The other end of the relay winding 35 is connected through a conductor 38 with a contact 39 which is mounted in the insulator 53. As shown in Fig. 3, the contact 39 is mounted on the insulator H3 in such a manner as to be normally insulated from the conductor bar sections, but in such position as to be electrically connected with one of the conductor bar sections through the collector l5 of the carrier. When the contact 39 is thus connected with one of the sections of the conductor bar l2, a circuit is established from the feeder 23 and through the conductor 38, the winding 35 of the relay and the conductor 3? to the feeder 2|. The contacts 33 and 34 of the relay are thereupon closed to establish a circuit through the winding 3! of the contactor 26 which results in the contact 28 being moved away from the contacts 21 and that portion of the conductor bar l3, which extends through the block A, being deenergized. The energizing circuit for the Winding of the contactor 26 may be traced from the feeder 23 through the conductor 40, contacts 33 and 34 and through the movable arm 36 of the relay to the feeder 2!.

In order that the conductor bar section in block A may be maintained in a deenergiZed-conditio-n while the carrier is operating in'block-B, it is desirable that the relay be maintained closed so that the winding3l of the contactor remains energized for holding the contact 28 open. -Accordingly, I provide the relay with cooperating contacts 4| and 42 for establishing a holding circuit for maintaining the winding 35 of the relay energized during the time that the carrier is operating in block B. The contact 42 is in sulated from. the movable arm 36 of the relay and is connected through a conductor 43 with a circuit control device 44 which is normally closed and is adapted to be opened by the carrier, preferably at the time the carrier is about to pass from the block B into the block C. This circuit control device is electrically connected with a section of the conductor bar l2 located in block B, so that when the contacts of the relay 32 are closed, current will be supplied through this device for energizing winding 35 of the relay.

As another feature of my invention I construct the contact device 44 to extend for a substantial distance in the direction 01" the track, so that for the desired actuation of the contacts of this device it is necessary that at least two wheels of the carrier cooperate with the device. As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, this circuit control device is provided with an elongated actuating member 45, which extends in the direction of the track, and which engages some portion of the carrier, preferably the wheels 36. This movable member carries a pair of spaced contact elements 4'! which normally engage a pair of similarly spaced contacts 43. The contacts 47 are both electrically connected with the conducto-r bar l2, and the stationary contacts 48 are both electrically connected with the conductor 43. From the arrangement as thus described it will be seen that when one end only of the actuating member 45 is raised the circuit through the winding 35 of the relay will be maintained through one pair of cooperating contacts: 4'1 and 48, but, when the carrier is in such position that the member 45 will be lifted by two wheels of the carrier passing thereunder, as shown in Fig. 4, both pairs of contacts will be opened and the winding 35 of the relay will be deenergized.

By elongating the actuating member 45 in this manner, it will be seen that an undesirable fluttering action, which would result from the passage of the wheels in succession under a shorter actuating member, is entirely avoided and that the cooperating pairs of contacts are opened during the passage of a carrier and are held open long enough to insure deenergization of the relay winding 35.

The deenergization of the relay winding 35 allows the contacts 33 and 34 and the contacts 4| and 42 to open. The opening of the contacts 33 and 34 deenergizes the winding 3! of the electromagnetic contactor allowing the contact 23 to drop down into engagement with the contacts 21 and thereby reenergize the section of the conductor bar I3 extending through the block A. The opening of the'contacts 4| and 42 prevents reenergization of the winding 35 of the relay until the collector l5 of the succeeding carrier engages the contact 39 of the insulator 3.

After the carrier operating in block B has engaged the control device 44, resulting in areenergization of the portion of the conductor bar I3 extending through the block A, the carrier encounters the insulator I8 interposed between blocks B and'C and engages a second contact 39, similar in construction and location to-the contact 39 interposed between blocks A and B. The

engagement of the collector-of the-carrier with the secondcontact 39 results in a second control device 23 functioning in a manner already described for deenergizing the section of the conductor bar I3 in the block 13, which section of the conductor bar is subsequently reenergized by engagement of the carrier with a circuit control device similar in construction and location to the circuit control device 44.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown circuits for another control block arrangement, which is somewhat simpler in form than the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5, and wherein the conductor bar sections are deenergized and reenergized in succession by cooperation of the carrier with normally open circuit control devices spaced along the track. In this arrangement conductor bars 55 and 56 extend along a track for supplying power to self-propelled carriers operating on the track. The conductor bar 55 is preferably continuous and at spaced intervals receives power from the feeder 51 through the conductors 58. The conductor bar 55 is divided into sections to correspond with the desired blocks A, B, C etc. of the track, which sections are insulated from each other by suitable insulating devices 59. A feeder 68 is arranged to supply power to the sections of the conductor bar 56 through the control devices 5| provided for the respective sections of this conductor bar. Each of these control devices includes an electromagnetic contactor 62, having stationary and movable contacts 63 and 64, and an operating winding 55. One end of this operating winding is connected with the conductor bar 55 by means of the conductor 65 and the other end of this winding is connected with the contact 51 of the relay 68. This relay is provided with a contact 69, carried by the movable armature member 15, for engagement with the contact 61 when the relay winding H is energized. The closing of the contacts 5? and 59 establishes a circuit through the contactor winding 65 which causes the contact 6G to be moved away from the contacts 63, resulting in the section of the conductor bar 56 located in block A, being deenergized.

For controlling the relay 68 in response to the operation of a carrier on the track, I provide the circuit control device 12 which is located adjacent the track for cooperation with the carrier when the latter is operating or standing in block B, that is to say, at a point in advance of the conductor bar section controlled by the contactor 62. In other words, the circuit control device 72 cooperates with the carrier to deenergize and subsequently reenergize a conductor bar section located in a block which has already been traversed by the carrier. The circuit control device 72 is normally open and when engaged by the carrier is closed to establish a circuit through the relay winding H. The energization of this winding closes the relay contacts which, in turn, energizes the winding 65 of the contactor 62 and results in the conductor bar section being deenergized. After the carrier has passed the contact device 12 this device opens, thereby breaking the circuit of the relay winding H and allowing the contacts El and 69 to open. The opening of these contacts deenergizes the winding 65 allowing the contact 54 to engage the contacts 63 and thereby reenergize the conductor bar section.

The circuit control device 12 may be similar in construction to the circuit control device 44 referred to above, and, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, comprises an elongated actuating member 14 which is movably mounted upon the stationary supports 15. The actuating member 14 carries a pair of spaced contacts 16 which cooperate with correspondingly spaced contacts H mounted on the supports 15 when the actuating member is lifted by some part of a carrier, such as the carrier wheel 18. If desired, one set of cooperating contacts, perferably the contacts 16, may be yieldably supported as shown in Fig. '7, by mounting these contacts upon a pivoted arm 79 which is engaged by a spring 80 for normally urging the contacts 16 upwardly toward the contacts 11.

From the arrangement described for the circuit control device 72, it will be seen that this device performs the desired circuit controlling function as soon as the actuating member 74 is engaged and lifted by some portion of the carrier, such as a carrier wheel. When the actuating member has thus been lifted and at least one pair of the cooperating contacts has been closed, the relay winding H is energized and the section of conductor bar 56 located in block A is deenergized. Thus the arrangement of contacts provided and the elongation of the actuating member, results in at least one pair of the contacts being held closed during the time that the actuating member is engaged by one or more carrier wheels, thereby preventing a fluttering action at the contacts which would otherwise result from the passage of the spaced wheels of the carrier.

In the operation of my control block arrangements, and particularly that of Fig. 5, it will be seen that as a carrier passes from block A into block B the collector of the carrier engages the contact 39 of the insulator l8 and causes the contactor 26 to be opened to deenergize that section of conductor bar 13 which is located in block A. This section of the conductor bar I3 remains deenergized, by reason of the relay holding circuit established through the normally closed control device M, until the carrier advances far enough in block B to engage this control device. During the time that the conductor bar section in block A remains deenergized, it will of course be impossible for a succeeding carrier to operate in block A and the operation of the succeeding carrier is thus automatically controlled to prevent a collision.

When the first carrier engages and opens the control device 44, the relay holding circuit is broken allowing the contact 28 to close and resulting in the conductor section in block A being reenergized. Shortly after the first carrier passes the control device 44 it engages the contact 39 of the insulator l8 located in the conductor bar I2 between block B and block C and, in the manner explained above deenergizes block B, which block is subsequently reenergized by cooperation of the carrier with another control device 44 located near the end of block C.

As stated above the blocks A, B, C, etc., may be located, respectively, adjacent loading or unloading stations, and when such is the case, it is usually desirable to so locate the control devices 12 with respect to the stations, that when a carrier is standing or passing opposite a station, for example the station in block B, some of the wheels of the carrier will be under the actuating member of the control device 12, causing the contacts of this device to be held closed. While these contacts are held closed the relay winding H remains energized and the relay contacts 61 and 69 are held closed. During the time that the contacts 61 and 69 are held closed the contactor winding 65 remains energized and the contact 64 is held open to deenergize that section of the conductoribar 56 which is located in block A. As the carrier in block B advances its wheels pass beyond the control device. allowing this device to return to its normally open position.

The opening of this device deenergizes the relay 68, which, .in turn, deenergizes the contactor 62. The .deenergization of the contactor allows the contact 64 to close and reenergize the section of conductor bar in block A. r

If desired, the block D which extends past the loading station ll, may be provided with suitable manually operable switch means for controlling the energization and deenergization of the conductor bar sections located in this block, so that carriers may be dispatched toward block A at the will of an operator stationed at this point.

From the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description it should now be understood that I have provided a control block arrangement for electrically operated carrier systems, which arrangement is simple in construction and efiicient and reliable inoperation. By the use of this novel control arrangement it will be seen that collisions will be prevented between carriers by reason of the fact that only one carrier is permitted to operate in any one block of the track and that the deenerglzation and reenergization of the conductor bar sections is automatically effected behind the carrier to regulate the operation of a succeeding carrier.

While I have illustrated and described the apparatus of my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that I donot Wish to be limited to the precise details and circuit arrangements illustrated and described, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I-iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an overhead monorail block system of the character described the combination of an overhead monorail track for electrically propelled carriers, a pair of conductor bars for supplying power to carriers operating on said track, one of said conductor bars comprising a multiplicity of insulated sections, feeders for delivering power to the sections of said conductor bar, an elec-' tromagnetic contactor for controlling the supply of energy to one of the sections of said conductor bar, a relay for operating said contactor, an energizing circuit for said relay including a contact device positioned between the ends of ad- J'acent sections of one of said conductor bars,

and a holding circuit for relay including a normally closed contact device adjacent said. track 'at'a remotely located section, said normally closed contact device being adaptedto be opened by a carrier operating on said track.

2. In an overhead monorail block system of the character described'the combination of 'an overhead monorail track for electrically propelled carriers, a pair of conductor bars for supplying power to carriers operating on said track, one of said bars having a plurality of sections insulated from each other, a feeder, a normally closed electromagnetic contactor for each of said sections for supplying power thereto from said feeder, relays for energizing said contactors to open the same and deenergize said sections, and operating circuits forsaid relays including normally open contact devices spaced along the track and adapted to be closed in succession by a carrier, said contact devices comprising pairs of coopere ating contacts, and an elongated actuating memher movably supported adjacent said overhead monorail track for causing at least one of said pairs of contacts to be closed during engagement of said member with some part of said carrier whereby said sections are deenergized in succession during the cooperation of the carrier with the respective contact devices.

3. In an overhead monorail system of the chars acter described the combination of an overhead monorail track for electrically propelled carriers, means for supplying power to carriers operating on said track including a conductor bar having a. plurality of sections insulated from each other, a normally closed electromagnetic contactor for energizing each of said sections, a relay having contacts for energizing such contactor to open the latter, an operating winding for said relay, contacts on said relay for establishing a holding circuit through said winding, and a pair or" circuit control devices for each relay, the circuit control devices of each pair being spaced apart adjacent portions of said track in advance of the sections controlled by the respective relays, one of said control devices being adapted for cooperation with a carrier for initially energizing the operating winding of the relay and the other control device having normally closed contacts for completing said holding circuit and being arranged for cooperation with a carrier for opening said normally closed contacts to deenergize the holding circuit. 7

KURT R. W'EISE. 

